His Strength
by bloodyrose360zero
Summary: Levi rubs soothing circles on Eren's back and breathes a relieved sign. You're strong Eren. Very strong.


"You did good today, Eren." Hanji said and offered him a towel to dry off. Eren happily accepted it and proceeded to wipe his face. Hanji scribbled something at the top corner of her notepad then tossed it to the side.

"It tiresome isn't it?"

Eren looked up from the towel still dragging it over his face to get as much of the sticky sweat off as possible and nodded.

"It is," he moved the towel to his arms. "But I can't give up not matter how tired I become. This is important." Hanji smiled and shifted so that the glare from the window hid her eyes. Eren was always so willing to please; his loyalty somewhat similar to that of a well-trained dog.

"Hanji."

Both Eren and Hanji looked towards the door. Levi glanced at the pair with little to no emotion.

"Are you finished with Eren?" he asked, annoyance laced in his voice. Levi knew that it was important, the experiments Hanji performed on Eren but he just couldn't deny that he felt a tightening in his stomach whenever Eren was called down to her Lab. Levi actually had no clue of what kind of _experiments_ Eren had to go through—mainly because Hanji refused to let him observe; something about him making Eren nervous.

"I am actually." She folded her arms and leaned on her desk. "Why so eager to have him back?" she mocked and the glare Levi shot her was enough to make her drop the topic.

Eren stared dumbfounded at the exchange. What were they going on about? And why was the Corporal glaring at Hanji?

"Eren." Levi called making him jump. Resisting the urge to smile, Levi reached out, taking hold of Eren's wrist and pulling him to his feet. Eren blinked in surprise but said nothing. "Well since you're finished for the day," Levi narrowed his eyes on Hanji again. "I'll be taking the brat."

Eren allowed himself to be dragged by his superior without a word. Hanji on the other hand covered her mouth to keep her laugh from spilling. "Oh Levi." She shook her head and went over to the couch where Eren had been sitting a few seconds ago. She eyed the towel she had given him before picking it up and walking back to her desk.

"Corporal…"

Eren had been led to Levi's personal courters. As expected, the room was in pristine condition. Levi wasn't labelled a 'clean freak' for nothing.

"Sit." Levi commanded and Eren obeyed without a fuss. It was funny just how much Eren acted like Levi's dog. Everyone in Levi's squad had noted this. The way Eren would follow the Corporal around and do whatever he asked and the disappointed look he'd get when Levi had to leave to attend to some paperwork or whatever else.

Levi crossed the room and pulled the chair out from under his desk. Eren continued watching without a word at his superior until he was comfortably seated in his chair.

"Corporal-"

"Tell me Eren. What exactly does she do to you down there?" The question burned in his mind from the first day Hanji and Eren had disappeared down the hall into her lab. Hanji had said that he would know eventually but that never seemed to happen. Eren would be called out of whatever he was doing by the brunette and Levi wouldn't see him until dinner. Eren would always look exhausted after and somewhat in pain.

"Sir?" Eren cocked and eyebrow and fidgeted in his seat. "Well," he wasn't exactly conscious half the time so telling the Corporal what he wanted to know was a bit of a task in itself. "I'm not really awake for them." He offers and notes the way Levi's eyes widen a bit.

"Explain." He says sternly and Eren resists the urge to look away.

"I haven't really had time to rest and get back up to 100% health since I've been down there five days in a row. I hardly have the strength to eat properly and sleep hasn't come easy these past few days. My body is under a lot of stress and I'm trying as hard as I can to get back up to speed but…" Eren takes a deep breath and bawls his fists. "I'm sorry I'm so weak Corporal!" he yells out in frustration.

Levi lets out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding in and gets up from his chair. Eren has been going through quite a lot. Did Hanji even notice his pain? Levi wants to reach out and lock Eren in a tight embrace but he shakes that thought and opted instead to sit beside Eren on the couch. Eren refuses to look at him and Levi is a little hurt.

"Eren look at me." he says softly and he can see the hesitation in the younger male's eyes. Eren turns sure enough and stares helplessly into Levi's stern eyes. "Corporal I'm sorry I'm so weak. I'll work hard I promise." He says, voice getting lower as if he's about to cry. Levi feels a tightening in his chest and without thinking reaches out and embraces Eren.

Eren stiffens in his arms and Levi only responds by tightening his grip. The fact that Eren is merely fifteen years and has to go through painful experiments and constant ridicule from people makes Levi sick. It's not like he asked to become a shifter. Why was he so heavily burdened?

Levi loosens his grip a little because Eren has finally relaxed into his embrace. He can feel Eren's body jerk slightly. Is he crying? Levi pulls away enough to catch a tear rolling down Eren's flushed cheeks. On instinct he brings the back of his hand and wipes the moist path. Eren visibly flinches but doesn't pull away. "Don't say that. You're anything but weak." Levi doesn't know where these words are coming from but he makes no move to stop them.

Eren breathes in and forces a smile that cause Levi's heart to clench. "Thank you, Corporal." The arms around Eren loosen and move to brush the hair away from his eyes. Eren blinks and more tears run down his cheek. "Thank you for always believing in me." Levi nods and Eren buries his face into his superior's chest. Levi rubs soothing circles on Eren's back and breathes a relieved sign. _You're strong Eren. Very strong._


End file.
